Travel insurance Features explained
Travel insurance basics
Go on holiday prepared with a travel insurance policy
Travel insurance can cover you for a range of problems when travelling abroad, from the catastrophic to the merely inconvenient.
When you buy a holiday or a flight, you may well be offered travel insurance to go with it (or even find that it is automatically added unless you expressly ask for it to be removed and find alternative cover).
It's all too easy to say yes to this travel insurance, and add the cost to the bill, but you're probably better off shopping around and taking out a travel insurance policy independently.
Single-trip or annual (multi-trip) travel insurance?
You need to decide if you should take out a travel insurance policy that will cover you just for one holiday, or take out an annual travel insurance policy that will cover you for all the trips you take (within limits) for a whole year.
You don't have to be a very frequent holidaymaker to save with an annual travel insurance policy – for example, an adult travelling within Europe would need to take only three holidays in a year to make a multi-trip travel insurance policy worthwhile.
An annual travel insurance policy is particularly convenient if you're the type of person who likes to take advantage of last-minute deals, as you won't have to remember to take out travel insurance, even if you decide to take off on the spur of the moment.
Whichever type of travel insurance you go for, use our travel insurance Best Buy tables to check for policy features and also common exclusions to make sure there aren't any nasty surprises should you wish to make a claim on your travel insurance.
For more on choosing travel insurance, read our guide to getting the right travel insurance.
Travel insurance cover for baggage
Travel insurance normally covers you if your baggage and belongings are lost, stolen or damaged – up to a certain limit. Our Best Buy travel insurance policies all have a limit of at least £1,500.
Cover valuables on your travel insurance
As well as an overall limit, travel insurance policies have a limit on individual valuable items such as digital cameras and laptops, usually between £200 and £500.
New for old
With travel insurance policies that replace items on a new-for-old basis, the insurer either pays the full cost of repairing damaged items or pays to replace them if they are stolen or destroyed.
Travel insurance cover for spectacles
Some travel insurance policies won't pay for the cost of buying new spectacles if they're stolen or damaged while you are away.
Policies often have a pay-out cash limit if you're robbed
Travel insurance cover for cash
Policies often have a pay-out cash limit if you're robbed
There's usually a limit on the amount of cash a travel insurance policy will pay out for if you're robbed. Such limits (between £200 and £500, depending on the travel insurance policy) also include traveller's cheques.
Our Best Buy travel insurance policies all offer at least £1,500 of baggage and belongings cover, plus additional cover for money.
Want to know more about your holiday money options? Read the Which? guide to cutting the cost of your holiday.
Medical cover under travel insurance
All Which? Best Buy travel insurance policies offer at least £2 million of medical cover. This cover includes the cost of an air ambulance to get you home, should this be necessary.
Pre-existing medical conditions and travel insurance
One of the main issues with travel insurance is whether the insurer will cover pre-existing medical conditions.
Some travel insurance policies will automatically exclude any pre-existing condition; others take a more sympathetic approach offering travel insurance cover for a range of serious medical problems.
Either way, you should always discuss any pre-existing medical condition with an insurer before buying a travel insurance policy – and answer any questions they ask you about this honestly.
Excess for medical claims on travel insurance
It's worth remembering some travel insurance policies will waive the excess for medical claims if you use your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which replaced the E111 in 2006, to get medical treatment while travelling in the European Union.
If you're struggling to find a suitable travel insurance policy, it's worth speaking to a travel insurance broker, particularly if you have a complicated medical history. Find a specialist broker through the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA). Check out their searchable database on the BIBA website, or call them on 0870 950 1790.
You could also try the Institute of Insurance Brokers (IIB) www.iib-uk.com or call them on 01933 410003.
Cancellation and curtailment of your holiday
Travel insurance will usually also pay you compensation if you have to cancel or cut short your trip, because of illness, for example, or the death of a close relative.
Our Best Buy travel insurance policies all have a limit of at least £3,000.
Read the for more on what to do if your holiday is cancelled or changed.
Tailored travel insurance cover
It is possible to tailor Which? Best Buy travel insurance quotes to better match your needs, and save money in the process.
If you travel light and don't intend to buy expensive gifts while abroad, or if you got a cheap deal on your flight, it may be worth waiving baggage and/or cancellation cover on the travel insurance policy.
Waiving cancellation cover may not be suitable if you are going on an expensive trip, but could be worth considering if you are just hopping over the Channel, for instance.
- Call our experts on the Which? Money Helpline for travel insurance information to suit your needs
- Going to Europe? Find out the European Health Insurance Card essentials
- Over 65? Find out about policies tailored to you
